SNL returns tonight with Jim Carrey set to play Joe Biden. But shouldn't core cast members be the ones to play the big roles and develop their talents?
,” there was no doubt that it would be a celebrity rather than one of the show’s castmember. While Kate McKinnon’s ably taken on impressions of politicians from Hillary Clinton to Jeff Sessions, and Beck Bennett’s stepped up to play a befuddled Mike Pence, the vast majority of political impressions in recent “” memory have gone to a celebrity or “SNL” alum.
On the most superficial level, casting the most plum roles on the show outside its own cast just isn’t a smart way to develop the promising talent it already has. The very first presidents it ever skewered — Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter — got sharp impressions courtesy of Chevy Chase and Dan Akroyd, who only became “SNL” royalty because they got that kind of room and faith to flex their comedic muscles. Lanky, broad Will Ferrell doesn’t especially look much like George W.
But Baldwin’s casting, like Fey’s, was purposeful for exactly that reason. The initial impression was passable, but more than that, it was a meta wink at the audience that made immediate headlines. Given how much attention the show got from such starry cameos, it’s completely unsurprising that “SNL”’s politics coverage then quickly devolved into a revolving door of celebrity drop-ins.
If “SNL” just wants to grab the most attention possible, well, mission accomplished. But if it wants to be as piercing, relevant and unsparing as it could be, it needs to ditch the cheap plays for instinctive applause and go back to its own basics.
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